


Persona Rebirth ペルソナ再生

by Midoriberry



Series: Changing Fates [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: 1980s Japan, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship, Gen, High School, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), Time Travel Fix-It, What-If, delinquency
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26387689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midoriberry/pseuds/Midoriberry
Summary: A small gift had been given to Goro Akechi from his Persona Loki. Traveling through time, Goro got to meet his teenage father and successfully change his future. However in doing so, a new path opened for Masayoshi Shido. What did happen after Goro left 1980s Japan?A continuation of the timeline after "When Father was There." A journey awaits.
Series: Changing Fates [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917799
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	1. Fading Memories

**Author's Note:**

> This is essentially a self-indulging fic for me. I'm kind of pantsing this one and writing it for the sake of it. The idea simply would not get out of my head and I liked Masayoshi and his friends so much I had to do more, you know? If anyone is intrigued by this concept, let me know! The fic is just for fun but getting some feedback is nice too. Also one thing that I will do differently in this fic is post sketches around the end of each chapter. Where will this fic go, I'm not too sure but I have a good idea where and how it will go!
> 
> It is a sequel to "When Father was There."

Two high schoolers leaned against the rail on the school rooftop. No one would bother them here, at least not until their lunch period was over or some unfortunate new kid decided to eat there. Either way, they neither cared or bothered.

Clouds covered the summer sun on that Wednesday afternoon. Swirls of gray and blue mingled in the horizon. Aching joints. Darkness growing between the painted clouds. A flash of light. Thunder lagged after.

They both sighed, disappointed.

The weather man promised clear skies. Even with the new-fangled doppler effect, they still couldn’t get something as simple as rain right.

“It’s the weirdest thing, José…”

“What is, Makkun?”

“Did…” The teenager paused, cigarette between his lips, fingers prepared to strike the match against the rail. “Did we get high with someone last Friday?”

José shook his head to say no, then shuddered. Hadn’t it been the usual crew? “I… um… I’m not sure how to say this in Japanese.”

The youth nodded, lighting the cigarette. “It’s okay; take your time.”

Neither flinched when the door burst wide open, slamming violently against the wall. Two boys emerged with various foods in their arms. Routine as usual.

“Ya guys are so serious!” laughed the door-kicker. He snagged a plastic-wrapped meal and slapped it onto his friend’s hand. “I got the yakisoba pan for ya, Masayoshi.”

“It was the last one,” replied the second. He handed José a bottle of cherry ramune and an onigiri. “They were out of salmon so I got you ume instead.”

José smiled. “Thank you, Shu-kun.”

Masayoshi stared at the sandwich that was carelessly handed to him. Squished, soggy bread and flavored noodles nearly spilling from the wrapper, it looked more like vomit than food. He curled his lip and glared at Hyun-Woo. “Your nanny should have hit you harder.”

“It’s still edible, dude.”

“It looks like dog shit.”

Ishida patted Masayoshi’s shoulder. “Come on guys, knock it off.”

“Next time you handle my food, Ishida.” Masayoshi snarled, tearing the wrapper open and biting into the bread. Edible, yes, but it still resembled garbage. If he hadn’t been starving, he’d have thrown it at Hyun-Woo’s goofy face.

Ishida adjusted his glasses. “Noted.”

Hyun-Woo saluted with a bag of chips. “Yes siiiiir…!”

The teens ate in silence, the only thing on their minds was food. Masayoshi sipped on his chilled barley tea, mind blank and yet racing to find answers. At the tip of his tongue, every time he came close to remembering, the memory disappeared. An epiphany came crashing. Face blurred, voice distorted. Tossed blankets and ruffled pillows. Something about fixing and changing. The words fresh on his mind, yet felt like he hadn’t heard them in an eternity. Why couldn’t he remember the guy he met last week?

“Is everything alright, Shido?” asked Ishida.

“Yeah…” He smiled wryly. “ Just thinking.”

José finished his onigiri and washed it down with his drink. “I think I can say what I wanted to say, Makkun.”

Masayoshi nodded.

“For some reason I keep thinking it was Shu-kun with us, but that’s impossible since he’s in cram school now. But, ah, I think… My mind’s blank. I can see the guy, but he’s just a shadowy shape.”

“Ya talking about your lil bro?”

Masayoshi shook his head. “Hiroki was in practice. I’m talking about another guy with us.”

The door slammed against the wall again. A dainty girl with flower hair sticks and a comb skipped from the shadows while a tougher-looking girl with hair almost reaching her hips followed suit. Breaking dress code, the softer one wore her skirt several inches above her knees while the other wore hers to her ankles. Rainbows and scowls, two polar opposites.

The thuggish girl pulled out a fan and pointed it to Masayoshi. “Where are my goods?”

“You’ll get your fucking Blondie cassette when it arrives!”

Flicking her wrist, the fan opened. “And when will that be?”

“When it gets here!” He frowned. “You’re late, Mimi.”

“It’s not Mimi-chan’s fault!” said the other girl. She plopped down in their circle between Ishida and Masayoshi and placed a large multi-layered bento in the middle. “There was business to take care of.”

“Making out isn’t business, Iha.” Masayoshi growled.

Fanning herself, Mimi sat between Masayoshi and her girlfriend. “Ari and I were getting in touch with my associate in Karukozaka.”

“How’d you do that?” asked Ishida, opening the bento. His eyes widened at the selection. Fried shrimp, grilled salmon, beef, pickled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, tamagoyaki all under a bed of fresh rice and furikake. “Your food’s always the best, Mimi-sama.”

Masayoshi rolled his eyes, reaching for a shrimp. “Why do you always call her that?”

“Because when it comes to cooking there is no one else who comes close!” Ishida exclaimed, chopsticks held high. “And also she can kick my ass. No joke.”

“Mine too!” added Hyun-Woo.

Everyone laughed.

Arisu savored the omelette. “We had to make arrangements last night so they can meet us at the baseball field fence. The teachers don’t go there that often. And you know how it is with Mimi-chan’s big brother…”

Hyun-Woo groaned. “Mr. Tomita is fucking annoying.”

“Because he wants you to succeed!” Ishida laughed, shaking a sulking Hyun-Woo.

“I think he’s cool,” said José.

“No offense, Pontes,” said Mimi, “but you think everyone’s cool.”

“There’s nothing wrong with seeing the good in people.” He shrugged. “He’s fun to talk about music with.”

Masayoshi nodded. “Yeah, he lets me drum on the desk sometimes. But he’s kind of a narc.”

“Not gonna contest that one.” Mimi sighed and poured herself more tea. “So what do you want, Masa? I didn’t slave away in the kitchen making you all this food for nothing, asshole.”

“Whaddya mean nothing? You still have a huge debt you haven’t bothered to pay off.” Masayoshi plucked a sliver of beef and ate it. The nerve of her. “If you think planting weed is enough to cover for the past fifteen orders, you’re fucking outta your mind.”

“Yeah, yeah. I see you whining but I’m not hearing business.”

“I needed to ask you and Iha a question. One about the Yoneda deal-”

“It’s going underway!” beamed Arisu.

“ **I wasn’t done,** **_Alice_ **,” Masayoshi snapped in English.

“ **Don’t call me Alice!** ”

“ **That’s your name.** ” Masayoshi rolled his eyes. “ **Don’t know why you even bother to deny it**.”

“ **Because it’s A-ri-su! Arisu! It’s Japanese**!”

“ **You’re a goddamn brat, Alice.** ”

“Leave her alone, Masa.” Mimi exhaled loud. “And quit speaking English. Both of you. Not like we know what you’re saying – Shut up Ishida.”

“You should study more, Mimi-sama,” Ishida replied, adjusting his glasses. “Learning another language opens you doors.”

“I open my own doors.”

“No one fucking cares.” Masayoshi punched the floor. “Update me on the Karukozaka shit when the weed is actually in Yoneda’s bag. Now before I was so rudely interrupted…” He adjusted his legs and leaned into the circle. “I needed to ask you girls about last Friday.”

Mimi tilted her head to the side. “What about it?”

“Do you remember a guy? Someone was there with me when I talked about planting reefer on Yoneda?”

Arisu, Masayoshi had no hope in her remembering. Too whimsical and absent-minded, busy in her girl world talking about inane things like shopping and clothes. But Mimi, he put all bets on her. Mimi never let him down, amassing debt or not. From their first interaction in a preschool sandbox to the present day – birthdays, comiket, gang wars – Masayoshi could easily say the _sukeban_ was his confidant. They bailed one another out no matter the severity. His bruised ribs were proof of it.

Mimi chewed thoughtfully. “Was it Hiroki?”

“I thought it was him too,” said Hyun-Woo.

“No, he was in practice,” sighed Masayoshi. He bit his lips, eyes pleading. “Come on, you gotta remember.”

“I… I can’t see his face?” whispered Arisu.

“Mimi…”

“Masa.” She scratched her head, eyebrows furrowed as she stared into an empty space. The shape of the boy in question was in her mind but a blur, almost translucent, hazy patterns like the heatwaves in the horizon. “I can’t tell you if there was someone with you.”

José patted Masayoshi’s shoulder. “Maybe it was something we all thought we saw but didn’t happen?”

He shrugged off José’s hand, annoyed. Masayoshi Shido didn’t need anyone’s pity. He knew what he saw, or at least what he thought he saw. The only vivid memory had been a golden butterfly flying across his room while he cradled the unknown person. Every detail about the boy blurred and muddled, yet the butterfly was crisp. Its golden wings shimmered in the pitch-black room, sparkling dust trailing behind its path. His eyes could not stop staring as the butterfly encircled the room and disappeared through the window. A brisk emptiness alerted him. His bed unwrinkled, cold. Masayoshi’s memories faded by the second. The boy was gone.

“I’m not crazy,” mumbled Masayoshi.

“Bro, you’re not crazy.” Hyun-Woo munched on a chip. “I know what ya mean but I... kinda don’t. We’re really sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Masayoshi waved his hand. It wasn’t their fault and he couldn’t remember either. Perhaps it had been a weird case of a shared dream? Not even his own family could recall the boy who spent the night last Friday. “I guess it was nothing then.”

Ishida cocked his head. Last Friday he had gone to cram school and received a call from Shido later in the evening. They chatted about several things -revenge over Yoneda and his goons attacking him more than anything- however none of it seemed important as the excitement in Shido’s voice when he talked about a new friend he made. He gushed and gloated how cool the guy was, how the teen resembled himself to a scary degree, and how he got along with José, Hyun-Woo, and Hiroki. Ishida couldn’t wait to meet him! But for someone as sharp as Shido to simply forget, no less everyone? That couldn’t be.

“Shido?”

“Hn?”

“How did you forget your twin like that?”

Masayoshi’s heart froze. Millions of icy shards stabbing through every inch of his body. He clutched his head, the throbbing unbearable. Images of the boy flashed. His smile, his laughter, his silent distress, his tears. The sun’s brightness intensified. Fighting through the tears and pain, Masayoshi opened his eyes and saw his friends experiencing the same. Golden wings appeared before his eyes. He reached out for the butterfly. Was this a dream or the end of his life? And like the spontaneity of the shock and pain, it disappeared.

Collective groans and coughing followed. What the hell was that about?

“Ari!” Mimi crawled to Arisu’s side and scooped the girl’s head into her arms. “Are you okay?”

“W-what happened?” she slurred, vision returning to focus.

“We gotta get out of the sun,” said Masayoshi, helping Ishida stand. “Your stitches okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine.” Ishida rubbed the bandage on the side of his forehead. “What _was_ that?”

José pulled Hyun-Woo from under his arms, both too weak to get up yet somehow managed. “Damn if I know.”

“Aww fuck, my head,” Hyun-Woo complained.

Masayoshi handed them their drinks. “Take a swig. Let’s get our shit and go.”

They said nothing as they regained their bearings and gathered their things. Masayoshi’s eyes met with Mimi’s, questioning though no answer was given. The entire experience had been overwhelming, frying their minds and numbing their tongues. As they left, Masayoshi turned to view the horizon; the dark clouds loomed closer to their school. A raindrop landed on his forehead. He cursed himself for not having his umbrella and headed back before the rain intensified.

“Funny…” he said to no one as he walked back to class with his friends. “There’s a number stuck in my head right now.”

“What number?” asked Hyun-Woo.

“Five-six.”

“Ya mean fifty-six?”

“No, just five-six.”

  
  
  


After school, his friends separated ways. Hyun-Woo had soccer practice, José needed to get home to watch his siblings before his mother left for work, Mimi and Arisu had already left an hour before school ended to do run business, and Ishida went to cram school. Masayoshi wanted to ask Ishida more about the twin he mentioned, but couldn’t find the opportunity to. He should have straight up skipped class and dragged his friend out for a chat, but he didn’t want to cause any more trouble for him. Ishida had enough to deal with at home.

“I’ll give him a call tonight.”

Dance lessons went without a hitch. Nothing new, yet nothing to slack over either. A light drizzle met him once the class ended. No umbrella, no problem. The cool, gentle rain had been a blessing from the intense dancing. While the world around him scrambled for an umbrella or shelter, Masayoshi strolled along with a relieved smile.

Famished, he bought food from a konbini and debated if he should get a kinder egg for his little brother. After much thought, though the little shit didn’t deserve it for tripping him that morning, Masayoshi bought the treat. To make it even, he’d demand 50% of the chocolate. That’ll teach him.

He detoured through a park but halfway across, Masayoshi was greeted by a downpour and lightning. Of all the luck in the world!

“Goddammit!” He turned to look for shelter, only trees. Tempting trees. Another bolt of lighting reminded him why that was a bad idea.

Masayoshi ran down a path, gritting his teeth at how dumb he had been for not buying a cheap umbrella at the store. Oh, but he had to enjoy the breeze from all that sweating, didn’t he? Calling people idiots for crying over a drizzle, didn’t he?

“Why couldn’t Mimi take over _this_ park instead?”

He eyed a playground and found a dinosaur themed dome slide. Thunder roared. Not the most ideal place to hide, but better than getting drenched or electrocuted under a tree. Carefully, he crawled underneath the entrance of the dome and shimmied away from the soggy opening. A little stuffy but spacious. He squatted against the shell and removed his athletic jacket, laying it over his school bag, overstuffed with his gakuran and school shoes. Once the rain died down a bit, perhaps he could use it as a makeshift umbrella until he got to the train station.

Opening the store bag, Masayoshi pulled out packaged karaage and Dr. Salt NEO. At least he could snack on something while he had to wait. Unwrapping the chicken, he salivated at the delicious smell permeating through the dome.

He picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth. Crispy and flavorful. The lemon added a welcoming tang. If only he had some mayo to accompany it. “And it’s still warm.”

Enthralled with his meal, he didn’t notice the umbrella or the shifting shoes several meters across. The rumbling thunder and crashing rain muted everything except for his hungry thoughts. He glanced up only to see a pair of dark eyes behind large glasses staring back.

A girl had been crouched in front of him.

Masayoshi startled, then frowned. How long had she been inside the dome without him noticing? Kind of nerdy, maybe about his age? No _seifuku_ , but a navy jumper and burgundy ribbon instead. She must’ve been from a private school. “Whaddya want?”

Unfazed by his tone, the girl licked her lips and rubbed her growling stomach. “Are you gonna finish that?”

He scoffed. What kind of question is that? “Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. So fuck off.”

“But I’m really hungry.”

“This ain’t a charity!” He moved the food away from her prying hands. The nerve of some people! “Who are you anyway? Go get your own food!”

She pouted. “Well I’d go to the store but I can’t leave.”

His eyebrow arched, uncertain and maybe intrigued. “What the hell does that even mean?”

“Um…” Her eyes wandered to the other entrance. “I’m stuck.”

“From the rain?”

“No…” She bit her lips, unable to look at Masayoshi. “I’ve been here for three hours.”

“Three hours? Literally why? You have an umbrella!”

“Ah, ha ha… Uh… I don’t think I can disclose that.”

“Bullshit.” He held out the tray, swirling it in front of her face. “If you tell me, I’ll give you some chicken.”

“I’m gonna get beaten up if I leave,” she said bluntly, snatching the tray from his hands and stuffing her mouth with as much chicken as her mouth could hold. “Mmm! Dis ish delishoush!”

“HEY!” Yanking the food from her greedy hands, Masayoshi devoured the rest of the chicken before she could retaliate and steal more. “Wuh duh yuh mean buh-” He sipped from his drink. “Beaten up?”

The girl swallowed hard. Overwhelmed, she slapped her chest and seized his cola, drinking until the food passed. “Thank you!”

“Were you raised in a barn!?”

“No? I’m from Tokyo?”

Masayoshi smacked his forehead. “Are you shitting me right now? First you stare at me like some weirdo in the shadows, then you steal my food, and now you drank my soda - which by the way I already drank from! The fuck’s your problem?!”

The girl blinked then smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit loopy. I’ve been stuck here in this heat for hours, plus they took my water.”

Took her water? He had a sinking feeling what this meant. Sighing, he grabbed a pork cutlet sandwich from his bag and handed her the other half. “Who’s they?”

“Wow, thank you!” She hummed in glee and bit into the sandwich. “You didn’t see a bunch of guys nearby did you?”

“No?” Truth be told, he focused more on escaping the rain than he did with the people. He assumed no one was there since it rained hard. “Are they keeping you here?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you saying it like it’s normal?”

She swallowed her food, thoughts and words too choked up to respond. The food landed heavy into her stomach. A smile mustered. “...It’s _my_ normal.”

Lightning brightened the dome, illuminating the shame in the girl’s eyes for a split second. The dimness returned, shadows masking their expressions, though not enough to erase the features painted through the soft light.

Raindrops and thunder. Trees sang with the wind.

No witty comebacks, no scathing remarks. Masayoshi watched the girl take a hesitant bite into the sandwich. Even the way she chewed was forced and unnatural, as if she wanted to prove nothing was wrong to the guy she just met. That there were no tears, no spiky lumps in her throat, no feelings of despair or embarrassment. None of that. She moistened her lips and swallowed.

“Here.” He handed her his cola. “I don’t have any water so just take the rest.”

She held out her hand and paused. Hand reluctant, slightly shaking in thought before she grasped the bottle and accepted it. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Hot rage pulsed through his body. This was worse than when his little brother was bullied. At least Hiroki’s bullies didn’t stalk him for hours on end. Terrible, yes; he would never deny his brother’s anxiety and pain, though somehow this action repulsed him more. How disgusting. What kind of guys went and bullied a girl? To the point of taking her water and stranding her during a storm and remained watching?

There had to be something behind these “normal” harassments.

Masayoshi peered out the entrance and saw nothing. “Are they still here?”

“I didn’t think they’d bother for this long with the rain, but they’re over there.” The girl pointed at several stone pillars in the distance.

Sure enough there had been umbrellas and teenage boys staring in the distance. Their uniforms were strange, though familiar. Nothing like the typical clothes most schools sported with the plain black gakuran and seifuku. There had been a recent push for public high schools to give the students more western-styled uniforms to help curb truancy and delinquency, and they must have been one of the earlier ones. Kind of unfashionable though somewhat stylish, the teens wore white shirts, black overalls, and black-red-white plaid pants. He knew the school. What was it again?

“Shujin…” he said to himself. Masayoshi had clients there.

How could he have missed the obvious? For crying out loud, one of their umbrellas were bright red! He didn’t know this girl at all, but a nagging feeling told him that he failed her. He should have seen those thugs in the rain! Perhaps go up to one and demand one of their umbrellas. A fight would ensue, and despite the cuts and bruises, Masayoshi would’ve successfully flushed them out of the park. The girl would leave and make it home safe.

Instead he worried about a little rain.

“I dunno what you’re thinking, but I don’t think you coulda seen them.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “Huh?”

“You were running the other way,” she said matter-of-factly. “So don’t feel bad!”

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Drink your damn Dr. Salt NEO!”

“Geez.” She sipped with a roll of her eyes. “They’ll give up in another hour so it’s fine.”

“That’s so stupid.”

“I know right? Who has the time for that?”

“Clearly you do.” Masayoshi scratched his head, mind accelerating at the speed of light. He looked at her umbrella. “Look, I need to get home before my mom kicks my ass, and you need to get home before your bladder explodes-”

“How did you know-”

“So let’s make a deal: you let me use your umbrella, and I escort you to the station.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, incredulous. “That’s not much of a deal. More like you making an excuse, but I’m not gonna disagree either…”

It wasn’t an excuse! “Then it’s settled.”

  
  
  


The two teens emerged from the slide, Masayoshi holding onto the umbrella while the girl crawled after and stood close to him. Head leveling above his chin, she was a lot taller than he expected! Even taller than Mimi! Her glasses were larger in the light, thick red frames covering almost half of her face. Why she thought they looked good was beyond Masayoshi, but oddly enough, they suited her too.

Eyeing the area where the goons were, a familiar face caught his attention. They stared for a long second before looking away. Smirking, he pulled out his rumbled gakuran jacket and caped his over the girl’s shoulders. Now they were ready to go.

The girl turned red. All she had to do was focus on the pathway and not the cute high schooler next to her. “Th-thanks for doing this.”

“It’s fine,” he replied, walking confident yet vigilant of his surroundings. Noting a movement near the stones, he wrapped a protective arm around her. “Don’t stop until we get there.”

“I won’t,” she said, keeping up with his rapid pace.

“If I say run, you run, okay?”

She nodded.

“We’re not that far from the exit.”

She turned to see behind.

“Don’t.” Masayoshi pulled her close to his body and slowed down. “They can’t know.”

“What if they’re following us?”

He chuckled. “Oh, they’re not. At least not to beat any of us up.”

The girl frowned. “What makes you so sure of that?”

Masayoshi grinned. “They got a good look at my face.”

“You’re a weirdo.”

Off guard, he bursted into laughter. “Says you!”

She wriggled her shoulders and bumped his side playfully. “It takes one to know one.”

He laughed more. There was nothing to say against that! Using his laughter, he spun dramatically and clutched his sides. Hair draping his face, he scanned the area. No gaudy plaid to be seen. The fucker who recognized him must have shat his pants and had the others retreat. Good. It was too wet and stormy to deal with a brawl, and having someone else involved like the weird girl would have made matters worse.

“Hey, the umbrella!” she scolded, snatching it from Masayoshi’s hands. Despite her displeasure, she giggled at Masayoshi’s theatrics.

“Don’t have a cow.” He pulled out the kinder egg from his shopping back and tossed it at her.

“Uwa!” The girl caught the egg right before it hit the floor, the umbrella landing on the ground.

They laughed.

Masayoshi picked the fallen umbrella and wrapped his arm around the girl once more. “Just making sure they fucked off.”

“Ah… well…” She rolled the candy in her hands, peeling the foil with her nails. What a strange guy. “Did they?”

“For now.” He shook his head, tossing his wet hair aside. “We’re almost at the station. Act cool, kay?”

“Roger that!” Breaking the shell in half, she offered it to Masayoshi. “Chocolate?”

He accepted the piece. “Sure.”

Eating the other half, she clutched the plastic capsule and held it against her chest. Perhaps the best time to open it would be at home so the weird guy didn’t have to witness her excitement and pester her about it. 

“Looks like this is the end of the road,” Masayoshi said, approaching the train kiosk. “You gonna be okay?”

The girl nodded and bowed. “Yes, thank you so much!”

Turning his face away, Masayoshi rubbed the back of his head, heat spreading to his ears. “S’nothing, so don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Okaaay…”

“I mean it!” He scowled. There was nothing special about him helping her. She needed help from those assholes terrorizing her, and he helped her. That’s all there was to it. If she was going to make a fuss in public about it, then fuck ever doing this sort of thing again.

Leaning forward, hands behind her back, she grinned. “I’ll be on my way then~” She waved goodbye and walked into the crowd.

Masayoshi waved back, watching the girl until she disappeared with the mob, save the purple ribbon tying her long silky hair.

‘D _oesn’t hurt to make sure those Shujin fucks aren’t there waiting._ ’

At home Masayoshi, removed his shoes at the genkan and dropped the parasol into the umbrella stand.

“Heh,” he said to the umbrella, “I didn’t even notice.”

Nor did he notice the smile plastered on his face until his brother teased him.


	2. Skip Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masayoshi declares a skip day and finds something strange in the train station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little tidbit! Back in the 1970s, Japan had a big delinquency problem from both sexes. They skipped, joined gangs, altered the uniform, all that stuff you may have seen in some Japanese media. In the 80s, the Japanese education system decided to implement new uniforms - mainly western in appearance - to help curb the delinquency and give the students a sense of identity. Seemed to have worked since truancy and delinquency went down. Back then then the uniforms were the usual gakuran for boys and the seifuku (sailor) for the girls, though jumpers were also common. Masayoshi's school still hasn't transitioned into a new uniform, hence the comments about the Shujin uniform. 
> 
> Thank you for your viewership and comments! I appreciate them so much! Please enjoy!

Today - Masayoshi had announced during their lunch break - would be a skip day. No soccer, no dancing, no cram school, no babysitting. The boys agreed and followed their friend to a different park where they sat on a hill to relax.

Ishida pulled out a sketchbook from his satchel and began to doodle his thoughts. For Shido to call a skip day meant the showdown with Yoneda drew near. He grinned to himself, dark lines etched deep into the paper. Charcoal lead broke beneath the pressure. For all the trouble he went through, the bastard was going to pay for attacking him. To think Shido went as far as to use drugs for revenge, not even for himself but for a friend. What a guy, what a friend. He wasn’t much for physical strength, intellect being his forte, yet Ishida would lend whatever he could for Shido.

The boy looked up and studied the perimeter. Inokashira Park… It was nice but, why this park of all places? Wasn’t this the one close to Shido’s dance lessons?

Hyun-Woo unlatched his violin case and pulled out the instrument. After soccer practice, he was supposed to go to his biweekly lessons and practice with his older sister at home. Violin for two days with In-Sook, piano for three with Chun-Ja. That was - begrudgingly - his routine. But who cared if he showed up? Not when there were more personal and pressing matters at hand. Besides, his sisters would cover for him. He hadn’t missed any lessons in months, so it had to make up for something, right? He plucked and tuned the violin, and handed it to José. “Here ya go, dude.”

José smiled, cradling the violin. “Thank you.” He lifted the bow and played a simple song he learned back home. His father loved to play and shared his passion at night, encouraging his family to dance and sing. On weekend evenings he took to the streets to relax and have fun with the neighbors. They were simpler, hungrier times; José lamented seeing father’s solemn face the day he sold the violin in order to afford their way to Japan. But it felt damn good to eat regularly again.

Hyun-Woo raised José’s elbow. “Keep it higher.”

The taller boy quirked an eyebrow, incredulous green eyes staring back. He imitated Hyun-Woo’s pose. “Like this?”

“Yeah, but _this_ time ya gotta keep it like that.” Hyun-Woo laughed, pulling a bag of chips from his school bag. Mouth watering, he tore into the bag and savored them. “Want some Shuichi?”

Head low, Ishida continued to sketch.

“You know he can’t hear when he’s drawing,” said José, lowering the violin from his chin. “Are these Japanese, or…”

“From South Korea. And yeah, they’re spicy.”

“No thanks.” José shook his head. “Last time I tried your snacks from home, I swear my ass caught on fire.”

Masayoshi snickered.

“Don’t your people eat chiles or something?” Hyun-Woo bunched several chips and stuffed them into his mouth. Nothing like the spicy-sour tang to satisfy the hunger. How could anyone think these chips weren’t sent by the gods? “Sho good.”

José batted his hand in Hyun-Woo's direction and diverted his attention back to the violin, plucking at the strings. “We don’t eat spicy food in Brazil.”

Hyun-Woo swallowed. No. He tried to swallow. Then he struck his chest. The food refused to pass. Not good.

“Idiot!” Masayoshi marched right to Hyun-Woo and smacked his back. If it left any marks, that was entirely on Hyun-Woo for pigging out. “Chew your damn food!”

“Hrgh!” The food dribbled from his mouth. He could breathe again but-! His precious chips! Hyun-Woo shoved Masayoshi aside. “Iiff hurs!!”

“Of course it’s gonna hurt!” He continued to slap his back until Hyun-Woo spat enough and slapped Masayoshi’s hands away with no avail. “If you die, who the hell is going to explain that to your mom!”

A swift kick to Masayoshi’s ass was all it took for Hyun-Woo to free himself from his friend. Sure he came close to choking, but was it worth puking all those chips in the process? Not when they were an export! Masayoshi may have been taller and physically stronger than him, but Hyun-Woo had formal martial arts training to make up for his shorter stature. No one ever expected the feet!

“My dead ass corpse will.” Hyun-Woo hopped and placed a single chip into his mouth. The crunch crisped a symphony into his ears.

“Ow!” Masayoshi rubbed his injury. It never failed for Hyun-Woo to resort to kicking. “Choke on a dick for all I care!”

Cupping his face, Hyun-Woo batted his eyelashes. “But ya _do_ care~” He caught an unopened carton of milk tea thrown at him. “And my favorite flavor too!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Masayoshi rolled his eyes, a slight limp from the kick when he walked to Ishida’s place. Though it couldn’t compare to the damage Yoneda and his cronies gave to his friend.

Ishida assured them the stitches would come off by next week. Masayoshi accepted and hated that answer. Ishida didn’t have to suffer over a stupid grudge. If Yoneda were a real man, he would have faced Masayoshi on his own. One-on-one. Hell, he could include his goons too for good measure so long as he didn’t involve any of his friends, especially Ishida.

Only a coward would attack a guy who couldn’t fight.

Masayoshi leaned over to his friend. He sketched a lot today. Must have had a lot on his mind by the furious rate he went. Probably planned a great mural to take out his frustrations on later. Masayoshi contemplated buying Ishida spray paint to compensate for his losses and ruffled his friend’s pompadour.

Ishida blinked, then fixed his hair with sooted fingers. “What’s on your mind, Shido?”

“Yo, if you need to head for cram school, just do it okay?” Masayoshi whispered, eyes fixed on his feet. As much command as he held with his friends, he didn’t want any of them getting into any trouble at home, at least not for one of his capricious whims.

Rubbing his fingers on the grass, Ishida closed his sketch book and put his supplies away. Shido could be sentimental when he really wanted to, and he liked that about him. But he didn’t need to be coddled this much either. Despite his lack of physicality, Ishida was more than capable of doing misdeeds. He knew Shido could see it, but he didn’t _really_ see it. Neither of his friends did, though he was fine being one they protected - sometimes. Ishida hated to play doctor after fights since the sight of blood nauseated him. A miracle he didn’t pass out when he had the stitches placed.

“I’m good. I’d let you know if it wasn’t a good day to play hooky.”

Masayoshi gave him a look.

“If I don’t come to school tomorrow, send a search party,” he teased with a wink.

“Fine,” Masayoshi sighed. “How long do you think Yoneda will get for possession?”

Reaching into his bag, Ishida pulled out a small notebook littered with charcoal smudges and paint. The edges were worn and full of bright book marks, each colored in a pattern only Ishida understood. He flipped a few pages and frowned. Not much on his notes, just tobacco and alcohol possession with minors. “Not sure. I haven’t really studied up on drugs.”

“It’s cool.” He patted Ishida’s right shoulder. “Your left doing better?”

“Yup.” Ishida grinned. The stitches would be pulled out on Monday if things went well. “How close are we with Yoneda though?”

“There was a setback with Mimi this week, but she said she’d be able to get it done by Saturday.”

“You think she might have gotten frazzled from what happened on Wednesday?”

“Maybe Iha, but not Mimi,” Masayoshi said with confidence. “She said something about her brother lingering a bit too close, so that’s probably why.”

“Just as long as Mimi-sama takes her time. I don’t want her getting in trouble for me.”

“Hey, she owes me big time, okay? And even if she gets in trouble, she’s got Namarie on her side. And me. I’ll bail her out if I have to.” His eyes wandered back to his feet. “It’s the least I can do.”

“I get you, man.” Ishida rocked side to side. The elephant was in the park and no one had bothered to say anything. José played idly while Hyun-Woo engorged himself into more spicy snacks while lecturing José about his poor form whenever their friend faltered. If this hadn’t been about Yoneda, then what was this about and why here of all places? “Shido?”

“Yeah?”

“Care to tell us why we’re all here?”

Violin strings croaked. Hyun-Woo tapped José’s leg with his foot, eyes threatening.

“Sorry,” José apologized sheepishly and handed the violin and bow to Hyun-Woo. At least he didn’t use the full force of his leg, or he’d be in the same pain as Makkun.

Hyun-Woo grumbled as he put his violin away.

Masayoshi sighed, situating himself in a squat. He thought better in his signature comfort position. By the inquisitive looks his friends gave him, they must have figured he had a lot to say if he had to hunker down like a gargoyle.

“So like…” How was he going to word this? “Uh…”

“Take your time, Makkun,” soothed José.

“Start with a buzzword! Something that’ll catch our attention!” Hyun-Woo bounced on the ground.

Masayoshi scratched his head. A buzzword huh? “That’s not… necessary my dude.”

“Lame!”

“ _Anyways_ , you guys know anything about Shujin?”

Hyun-Woo winced. “The high school with the grody uniform?”

“Yeah, totally barfed out and shit. A lot better than Karukozaka’s clown pants, but still a fucking eye-sore.”

“I’m not familiar with that school, Makkun.”

Ishida tapped his chin. “There’s a guy I tag with who goes to Shujin. Kind of an airhead, but he’s tight.”

Masayoshi leaned in. “I’m listening.”

“He doesn’t say much. Just bitches about the new uniforms, but… actually, he was wigging out on me before the Karukozaka guys ganged up on me.”

“High on paint fumes?” asked Hyun-Woo.

Ishida shook his head. “He was talking about how some students were getting involved in some weird cult game. What was the name…?” Ishida snapped his fingers. “It was a foreign word too. Pe…”

“ **Purple**?” added Masayoshi.

“No, it was, erm, peh-something.”

Hyun-Woo shrugged. “Totally vague, Shuichi. Was it English or another language?”

“I think it was English-”

“I’m out!” Hyun-Woo laid on the grass with a groan.

“-but it could have been something of the romance languages?”

“Strike two!” The lively teen rolled and sat back up. “It’s up to those two then.”

José sighed, defeated before the guessing came could truly start. “I don’t think I can think of words with ‘peh’ on the spot, Hyun-Woo. Even if it is in Portuguese.”

“ **Pencil? Pear? Perish?** ”

“Shido-”

“ **Petal? Petty? Pensive? Penis?** ”

“I KNOW _THAT_ WORD!”

“We all know that word!” José chuckled.

Ishida flushed. “It’s not _that_ word!”

“You’re not giving me any other clue.” Masayoshi shrugged. “I may be top in nationals, but even I can’t figure out your crazy blood cult out.”

“I never said I was in the cult, dufus!” Frustrated, Ishida crossed his arms. If Shido didn’t want to hear about Shujin, then he didn’t have to tell him anything. “Why do I even bother?”

“C’mon Ishida take a chill pill.” Masayoshi grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him gently, avoiding his injuries the best he could. “We’re all listening.”

“Fiiiine!” It didn’t take much to anger Ishida, merely mildly annoy him. Besides, how could he take their jostling seriously? Penis was a funny suggestion. Snickering, he said, “Also I didn’t say it was a blood cult, what the hell Shido?”

“Alright, alright.” Masayoshi’s hands patted the air. “Did he tell you anything else about this game?”

“Only that it’s become all the rage at Shujin. I think other schools are starting it too.”

“Hmm…” Hyun-Woo furrowed his eyebrows. “Nothing else about the game? He had to tell ya what the point was, right?”

“Well, the game really disturbed him. He told me to never go play it or else something bad could happen. But, again, can’t say anything since I forgot the name.”

Interesting turn of events. A question about a school transformed into a subject of an occult game. True that it had piqued his interest, Masayoshi had other Shujin related things to think about, namely the bullies and the girl. Why would a bunch of guys bully a girl from another school? There had to be something behind the attack. Ishida never got involved in the Karukozaka stuff and yet they preyed on him by association. Maybe the girl found herself in a similar situation.

And yes, she didn’t ask for his help. She didn’t ask anything of him except food, yet something inside of him gnawed at his conscience. That one instance of help only served to benefit her just once. Two days later, she could have been harassed again. If it were her normal, then Masayoshi giving her a hand that one time wouldn’t deter her bullies. Knowing trash like them, their harassment would get worse because of him.

Dammit. Instead of rushing home yesterday, he should have detoured back into the park to check if the Shujin assholes were prowling.

He really didn’t think any of it through, but there was no use in lamenting his actions. What was done was done, and Masayoshi Shido would gladly take responsibility for it. If it took raiding Shujin and dragging the bastards out from their classrooms, Masayoshi would find a way to do it. Of course that method would involve other people doing the dirty work for him. He had enough uncensored porn under his bed to make an army of horny high schoolers do anything.

“Thanks for the info Ishida, but I was hoping for something less ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and more not that.”

Ishida laughed. “No worries. Thought it was interesting is all.”

“I have some Hermelin acquaintances,” said José. “Maybe they know about the game.”

Hyun-Woo’s eyes widened. “Didn’t someone literally kill themselves from that school?”

“Wait, really?”

“I remember hearing it,” said Masayoshi, nodding. “Apparently it’s their third suicide. Happened last month. Some girl named Yuriko Yamamoto hanged herself in the drama club room. They said she was wearing a play mask too.”

Goosebumps travelled down the boys’ bodies, shivers and shakes. Hyun-Woo hugged his arms. Ishida wrung his hands and chewed his lips. With a quivering hand, José made the sign of the cross and recited a prayer in Portuguese. Masayoshi remained silent. Yuriko may have not attended their school, but the thought of someone their age taking their life at a school unnerved them.

Uncomfortable with the silence, Hyun-Woo cleared his throat. Heavy topics were fine, but not today. Really, not ever. “So uh, Shujin? Why are ya so interested in that school now, Masayoshi?”

Masayoshi breathed deep. Now or never, the boys were bound to find out. “There’s this girl-”

Hyun-Woo threw his arms around. “Holy shit!”

“No, dumbass, it’s not like that!”

“Ya can’t just talk about a school and casually mention a girl like that! Since when have ya ever talked about girls besides to bang them? Bro, are ya in lo-”

A stern finger pointed to his loud friend. He hated being teased. “Don’t you fucking finish that sentence.”

“Makkun’s turning red.”

Ishida coughed to hide his laughter. Shido _was_ turning red, and it was the funniest thing ever!

“Am not!” he scowled. No way in hell did he turn red! Not for some girl he just met a few days ago. “Stop thinking with your dicks and actually listen to me!”

“Says the biggest horndog,” muttered Hyun-Woo, garnering chuckles from the others. He pulled up his feet in front to shield himself from any oncoming attack from his friend. Masayoshi stayed cool for most things, but when he got flustered there was no telling how he’d react. What a mood killer.

A taste from his own medicine from earlier. Great. Masayoshi groaned beside himself and tented his fingers over his head.

José’s grin faded into somber. Makkun rarely became this thoughtful unless it had truly bothered him. The last time he became this silent was when Ishida got jumped and sent to a hospital. And the time before that was when Hiroki came home with a black eye from school. Reaching his arm out, he tapped Masayoshi’s knee. “Makkun?”

“The other day…” Masayoshi glanced at José’s eyes. “Shujin guys were bullying a girl. They kept her trapped in that slide over there.” He pointed to the playground. “Kept her for hours in the rain… Said it was her ‘normal.’ I mean, fuck, she’s not even from their school.”

“That’s heavy...” Hyun-Woo murmured. “Have you seen her again?”

Masayoshi shook his head. “Haven’t. But I still remember the jerk-offs.”

Ishida peeked at his watch. “Shido, it’s almost five. Wanna give Namarie a call?”

“Good idea.” He stood up, dusting his trousers. “I’ll be back guys.”

  
  
  
  


Namarie.

What a strange name for a motorcycle gang. Most of the ones Masayoshi knew about had names like ‘White Demon’ or ‘Raging Fire,’ or even names describing their location like the ‘Mikage-cho Angels.’ Of course Mimi opted for something else. Nonsensical and nonexistent, Mimi chose Namarie for her gang.

Not known for her creativity, Mimi must have gotten the name from somewhere else. Perhaps in a book she- nah, Mimi didn’t like reading. It had to be from one of her girls. Maybe Iha. Mimi adored Iha like no other. If they weren’t busy riding into town, they were hanging out in the park, planning out their next doujinshi while flirting and kissing.

“I wonder if they’ll live together after high school.” Masayoshi pulled out his address book in the phone booth. “Her brother won’t like it.”

Not that Mimi or Masayoshi cared about her brother’s opinion. Atsuo meant well, though he worried too much. A bit of a buzzkill who always tried to interfere with his sister’s business; Mimi avoided going home early. But Masayoshi had to admit, despite the helicopter brother, at least he gave a shit - a whole lot more than the adults in her home.

Slipping in a few yen, he dialed one of the numbers listed under Mimi’s name and waited. The park she took over had a payphone near her hang out. One of her girls stationed herself to catch any important calls and would signal Mimi if it meant business. He hoped he didn’t have to run half way across the city to find Mimi if he was too late. He didn’t mind visiting Atsuo’s place, but the conversation he needed to have was best kept away from his prying self.

“Namarie,” answered a girl.

Right, the code word. “Tari.”

“What’s your business?”

“I’m looking for Mimi.”

“Who’s askin’?”

“Shido Masayoshi.”

“Sh-Shido-kun?” the girl gushed. “Mimi nee-san’s kinda busy, but I can keep you company~ What’s the message?”

“Which one is this? Nishimura?”

“I’m Endo~ Endo Yuuko~!” She giggled. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get your message to my boss.”

“Endo,” he sighed, exasperated. Today was not the day to flirt. He had business to conduct, and as nice as it was for someone to volunteer to keep his dick wet, Masayoshi simply had no desire for it. There were bigger fish to fry. “I have no doubt you’re hot, but really, I’m in a hurry. Hand me to Mimi or Iha or-”

“Or else what?”

“Or else I’ll have a long talk with your boss at school. I’ll be sure to mention your name too.”

“I’m so sorry! I-I’ll go get her!”

“Wait, wait Endo. Chill for a sec,” his voice smooth and seductive. He had to save face too. “We’ll talk next time.”

“Hee~ Looking forward to it!”

Masayoshi waited a few minutes before Mimi answered the phone. He’ll definitely have to call Endo back for not dragging this longer than he anticipated.

“Namarie.”

“You fucking know it’s me, Mimi!”

“Namarie,” Mimi repeated, a smug smile thick in her voice. Unrelenting and steadfast, she would never let even her closest friend get away from breaking protocol. How she loved to hear Masayoshi squirm under her grip.

“...Tari.”

She chuckled. “Was it so hard, Masa?”

“Bite me.”

“Alright, whatever.” She twirled the cord around her finger. “It’s been hard to get Yoneda alone, but my girl said she’ll be going on a date with him tomorrow. After that, she’ll be able to plant the reefer into his bag.”

“Should I wait for Sunday to call the cops?”

“Might be too late by then. Yoneda might be the kind to completely empty his bags and find the weed. I say you should follow tomorrow. She’ll be wearing a red ascot once she’s successful. When you see it, you’ll know what to do. I suggest someone like Ishida or Kim to do the job though. You look like a dirty thug and José unfortunately stands out too much.”

“The cops will search Hyun-Woo the moment they get his name. Can’t risk it.”

“Shit, you’re right.” Mimi pinched her nose. No need to get one of their own in trouble. “I’ll be there then.”

“You’re going to put on normal clothes so the cops won’t suspect you?”

“Ugh, I forgot about that too. You know? It’s fine. I’ll get Ari to help out. She’s got the disposition for it.”

“Let’s meet tomorrow at Inokashira Park.”

“I’ll… see if I can arrange it.”

  
  
  
  


The details were sorted out. He’d have to call Mimi later at her home just for a quick rundown in case any specifics got missed. Now all he had to do was relay the message to his friends. If any of them weren’t down, he’d understand. Yoneda was a piece of shit and held no qualms over hurting others affiliated with his enemies. Hyun-Woo didn’t give a shit and flaunted his wealth despite his Korean ancestry. José would join in too, though a noble guy like him had no business dealing with an asshole like Yoneda. And of course Ishida couldn’t be blamed if he wanted out, though he seemed keen on getting back at him. Whatever they chose, Masayoshi would honor, good or bad.

He stopped at a convenience store and bought several drinks and tuna onigiri for his friends, and the latest newspaper for Hyun-Woo. Walking to the sales counter, his peripheral vision caught a familiar, gaudy uniform: Shujin.

The student didn’t appear to be any of the guys who targeted the girl. Just a regular kid trying to buy out the store in a fit of hunger, or running an errand for his friends. Or bullies.

Masayoshi casually leaned toward the student. “Hey kid, radical uniform you got there. Where you from?”

“Huh?” The student did a double-take, sizing up the taller student and looked at the school emblem. “Whoa, dude, what school is that?”

“Gensen high school,” he grinned.

“That’s a wicked school.” The boy nodded. “Man, must be nice to still have the gakuran. I’m from Shujin by the way.”

“Is that uniform new or something?”

He stretched his pants at the hips. “Yeah. They started this last year. It’s okay but it sucks too.”

“Not as bad as Karukozaka’s.”

The teen laughed. “That uniform is _heinous_.”

“Right?” Masayoshi shuffled the items in his hand and rested on his left leg. “Hey since you’re from Shujin, quick question. I heard a rumor talking about some blood cult in Shujin, is that for real?”

“Uh, blood cult?”

“Like a game you guys are playing?”

His eyes brightened with realization. “Oh! That’s not a blood cult. That’s the Persona game!”

“Persona game?”

“Yeah. It’s a weird game, but apparently if you do it right, you can see your future or something like that. The story changes depending who’s telling you, but that’s what I heard.”

Masayoshi arched an eyebrow. The future? “Have you played it?”

“No way!” He shook his head furiously. “That sounds like a curse! Like, what if you see your future and it’s like bad and you can’t change it? Or what if it’s good and like you do something to change it? That would suck major balls!”

“True…” Masayoshi reached into his pocket and handed the student a bill. Nothing to owe anymore. “Thanks for the tip.”

“Huh!? Dude, I-”

“No worries pal.” He winked and paid for his merchandise at the counter.

  
  
  
  


The guys weren’t bothered when he returned with snacks and drinks for the long wait. They ate and listened to Masayoshi’s plan for tomorrow. The mission was simple enough. All they had to do was locate the nearest police boxes to snitch and Yoneda’s arrest was in the bag.

“I don’t mind being the snitch,” said Ishida. “I mean, I look the part.”

“No need,” replied Masayoshi. “Iha’s going to handle it.”

Hyun-Woo nearly choked on his drink. Not a good day for his abused throat. “Not even!”

“Even. Mimi said so herself. If it comes to it, Ishida, you’ll handle it.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll be there on standby, okay?”

“I’ll be there too,” said José.

“Ditto,” replied Hyun-Woo. “Fuck Yoneda. Tired of his ass.”

“Tomorrow then. We’re meeting back at this park at eleven. Mimi and Iha will join later with the intel.”

The teens walked to the train station and paid for their tickets. They detoured into the mini mall to see the latest wares. José was shocked they sold the latest Atari console in such a cramped space.

“Oh, by the way Ishida, I found a Shujin kid earlier.”

“Yeah?”

“He said that game was called the Persona game. Ring a bell?”

“Persona?” asked José.

Hyun-Woo shrugged. “Never heard of it. Say, isn’t that a word in your language?”

“It’s **pessoa,** ” corrected José. “That means ‘people’ in Spanish, I think.”

“Neat.” Hyun-Woo turned to Ishida. “Did your buddy tell ya how to play it?”

“Nope. Just freaking out about it apparently.”

“The guy I asked didn’t say how to play it either,” said Masayoshi, “but that you see your future if you do it right.”

José bit his lip. “Creepy.”

Passing by an arcade, a luminous blue stopped Masayoshi on his tracks. A glowing blue door stood in a lonely area of the station’s mall. An elegant, western-styled door Masayoshi saw in movies about manors and the problems of the spoiled British nobility, it stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the bright colors and loud shopkeepers. No windows or advertisements, simply a wooden door with a name written in Roman letters on a silver plate.

Curious, Masayoshi approached the strange door. The nameplate shined. The teen grasped the handle, turned the knob, and pulled.

Resistance met.

Masayoshi pushed the door.

Resistance met again.

“Makkun?”

Entranced by the blue doorway, he blinked and lost his focus on the door. José’s warm hand landed on Masayoshi’s shoulder, grounding him back to reality.

“Do you see the blue door, José?”

“I see _a_ door.” José could not describe the door his friend stared at. It existed and yet felt like it shouldn’t have been there. Did it have a blue color or did his mind play tricks on him? With a shudder, he pulled Masayoshi away. “Let’s go, Makkun.”

His body on autopilot, Masayoshi followed his friend to the platform. The name of the store stuck in his mind and heart. He turned for a final time to see a foreign woman in blue at the door. Amber eyes met with bright yellow. A knowing smile graced her ethereal face. Her index finger poised before her lips. A message for silence?

Her lips moved against her finger. Mute yet resounding in clarity.

_“One more day.”_

Shaking his head, the woman disappeared. The glowing door now a normal custodian closet. Today’s stress must have gotten to him. But José saw the door too, didn’t he?

Stepping into the train, Masayoshi turned back again, expecting to see something else but found the usual busy crowd and bustle of Tokyo residents. Now was not the time to ponder the strange shop. If all went well tomorrow, Masayoshi would explore the mini mall again and visit the store.

“What in the world is a Velvet Room…?”

  
  



End file.
